NEW DELHI: “Mujhe Shramjeevi Express ko le kar Patna jana hai, meri train ek ghante mein Platform 8 se niklegi, main aapko 10 minute de sakta hun (I have to take the Shramjeevi Express to Patna. The train will depart in one hour from Platform 8. I can give you 10 minutes),” says Praveen Kumar, who is working as Chief Inspector of Ticket (CIT) in the Indian Railways.Praveen, a former Bengal U-19 cricketer, has worked with the Indian Railways for the last 34 years and has played a pivotal role in shaping his son Shivang Kumar’s cricketing career. Shivang is currently wearing Sunrisers Hyderabad’s jersey in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). He’s picked six wickets from eight matches with best figures of 3/33 against the Punjab Kings on April 11.
“When he was around eight, a saint in Vrindavan predicted that he would fulfil my unfulfilled dreams. He would become a top cricketer. I thought the man wanted money. I tried giving him Rs 50, but he refused and said, ‘Aapka naam raushan karega ye ladka (This boy will make you proud),'” Praveen Kumar recalls a story from a family trip to Vrindavan.The prophecy came true, and Shivang is indeed making his father proud.“I have been taking him to the stadium since he was five. I used to take both my sons (Shivang and Devang) with me. I never forced them, but I used to pray that the cricketing gods, who were cruel to me, would let me live my dream through my sons. It is all God’s plan,” says Kumar.
File photo of Shivang Kumar’s father Praveen, a former Bengal U-19 cricketer. (Photo by special arrangement)
Praveen vividly remembers how, after playing for Bengal U-19, when his name came up among the Ranji Trophy probables, he came home to Moradabad to seek his parents’ blessings, but destiny had something else in store for him.“I was offered a job in the Railways under the sports quota. Meri maa ne kaha ki main bhari thaali mein laat maar raha hoon (My mother said I was being ungrateful). I took the job and left cricket,” he says.But two months ago, when Shivang was offered a job with the Railways, he took a stand. “Maine bola goli maaro naukari ko aur cricket pe dhyan do (I told him to forget the job and focus on cricket).”The accidental spinnerAround a year ago, Praveen had another serious conversation with his son and told him that as a batter, he would not get picked for Madhya Pradesh, let alone the IPL or Team India. The reality check shook the young Shivang, but he trusted his father’s plan.Interestingly, until last year, Shivang was a top-order batter and his exploits for Bhopal Leopards in the Madhya Pradesh T20 League put him in the spotlight. But it was his left-arm wrist-spin that added more value to his profile, and he was picked as a marquee player for Bundelkhand Bulls for Rs 13 lakh in the 2026 season.IPL franchises Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad called him for trials. He went on to play List A and T20 cricket for Madhya Pradesh. In three List A games, he picked up ten wickets, including a five-wicket haul against a strong Karnataka side in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scalped eight wickets in as many matches and impressed everyone with his guile. Shivang was then picked by the SRH in the IPL auction.
Shivang Kumar during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings in Hyderabad. (PTI Photo)
“It was evening and I was having tea with him in our courtyard in Moradabad. I told him he would have to do something out of the box. He was a left-arm spinner and an opener. The opening slot is packed in the state and IPL teams, and with the kind of pitches being prepared these days, his left-arm spin was of no use. I gave him the ball and asked him to bowl chinaman. The ball spun. I myself was a left-arm wrist-spinner. I showed him the grip for the googly and the leg-break. He executed it perfectly,” recalls Kumar.Immediately, father and son went to the nearest stadium, where Shivang bowled while Praveen recorded videos. After analysing them, Praveen became convinced that his son could make it to the top level, but there was a catch.“The revs on the ball were amazing. The wrong’un was excellent. I told him that if he worked according to the schedule I would chart out for him, he would have a great career. For the next three months, he bowled 25 overs per day at a single stump, and he was ready,” says Praveen. During the MPL, when Shivang joined Bhopal Leopards, their coach Devendra Bundela, who had picked Shivang for his batting, was impressed with his wrist-spin.“I instructed him that no matter how many runs he conceded in the MPL, he would bowl wrist-spin. It was a miracle. I still can’t believe it. Shivang was always an opening batter. What a transformation he has had,” says Bundela, a former Madhya Pradesh captain who has played 164 first-class matches.The MS Dhoni touch
Shivang Kumar (R) with his father Praveen. (Photo by special arrangement)
Growing up, like most athletes, it was not easy for Shivang. At the age of 13, he decided to quit cricket after not being selected for the Uttar Pradesh U-14 and U-16 sides in trials held at Kamla Club in Kanpur. A dejected Shivang asked his father to pack his cricket kit and put it in the storeroom as he wanted to focus on studies.“Yeh U-14, U-16 ke chakkar mein marks kam aa rahe hain, cricket ab rehne dete hain. Padh leta hoon, shayad kuch ban jaun (I’m getting poor marks because of all this U-14 and U-16 cricket. I think I should stop for now. I’ll focus on studies, maybe I’ll become something),” says Kumar.“I also did not want to force him, so I made peace with it.”A year later, Shivang went with his friends to watch MS Dhoni’s biopic in a theatre. “He came back and said, ‘Papa, lagta hai badi jaldi haar maan gaye (I think I gave up too early),'” a rejuvenated Shivang told his father.The next day, Praveen also watched the movie.“I came out in tears after watching it. I remembered my days, how I used to travel in general compartments for a day to reach Calcutta. It made me emotional. I returned home and told him to pack his bags and kit, as we would leave for Gwalior the next morning,” he says.
SRH spinner Shivang Kumar’s father Praveen is a Chief Inspector of Ticket (CIT) in the Indian Railways. (Photo by special arrangement)
Praveen took Shivang to Tansen Cricket Academy in Gwalior, where the coach needed an opening partner for a U-16 tournament in Bhopal.
Poll
Which role do you think has more influence on a young athlete’s career?
“Shivang’s opening partner was Priyansh Arya,” laughs Praveen. “In that match, Priyansh scored 180 and Shivang made 160,” he adds.From then on, Shivang never looked back, and neither did his father. Praveen is yet to watch his son play live in a stadium, but he is not worried.“My first duty is to the Indian Railways. It has given me everything. If I get leave, I will go and watch him play. Until then, I have more serious responsibilities on my shoulders,” he signed off with the Shramjeevi Express still slated to depart from Platform 8 in 45 minutes.
